LRT riders looking for something to hold on to

Riders on Ottawa's light rail lineare increasingly frustrated that the trains have no stability straps to hold on to, leaving the grab bars occasionally too high toreach.

The straps are meant to hang from the bars so that riders have something to grasp while the train is in motion. They canalso to help people pull themselves out of their seats.

Riders have been airing their grievances about the lack of straps on Twitter.

Evensome taller riders are complaining that the bars are too high without straps.

Use scarves instead

Justin Kelly, the creator of Occasional Transport,a crowdsourced website that tracks LRT delays, is using his platform to urge riders to hang scarves from the grab bars as a temporary solution one that, at the same time, would senda message to OC Transpo.

"This is a non-destructive, constructive activism [initiative] and it will continue until [the straps] show up," Kelly told CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning.

In an October memo to city council, OC Transpo head John Manconisaid the agency did plan to install straps, but didn't indicate when they might come.

"We are currently working with the vehicle manufacturer, Alstom, and with safety engineers on the placement of the straps and other considerations that are part of rail safety requirements," the memo reads.

When asked for an update on those timelines, a City of Ottawa spokesperson shared part of a presentation dated Nov. 20 that said 500 straps had been ordered and "are due shortly."

The presentation saidstraps will be installed upon arrivaland should equip half the fleet.